Athlete&#39;s training cart



1962 J. P. FOSTER EI'AI. 3,062,548

ATHLETE'S TRAINING CART Filed Aug. 2, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 TH? mmvroxs. E john PFosfer, De/mas JD/ckerhoof & amesEFeztaflaJ W WM A URNEY.

Nov. 6, 1962 J. P. FOSTER ETA].

ATHLETES TRAINING CART 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 2, 1961 INVENTORS. John Foszer, De/mas Dlckerhoof & dames E. Fercana BY WQ AMQM A RNEYQ' Uited States Patent 3,062,548 ATHLETES TRAINING CART John P. Foster and Delmas J. Dickerhoof, Blott Road, and James E. Fercana, RD. 1, all of North Jackson,

Ohio

Filed Aug. 2, 1951, Ser. No. 128,853 Claims. (ill. 273-55) This invention relates to training apparatus and more particularly to an athletes training cart.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a device which may be used indoors for offering controlled opposition for athletes training to develop muscular co-ordination.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a training cart having means against which an athlete may engage his arms and shoulders for a pushing action and means for controlling the resistance offered by the training cart.

-A still further object of the invention is the provision of an athletes training cart in which devices are provided against which an athlete may engage his arms and shoulders in a pushing action and including gauges arranged to register the amount of pushing motion imparted thereto.

'A still further object of the invention is the provision of a training cart for developing athletes muscles that is-particularly suitable for football training and which device may be used indoors in a gym during the winter months.

The athletes training cart disclosed herein comprises a novel and eflicient apparatus for building up the leg muscles of athletes such as those playing football and wherein a controlled resistance to a pushing action is available. Devices heretofore used for this purpose have generally comprised sled-like structures having padded uprights against which the athletes engaged their arms and shoulders and attempted to move with a pushing motion. Such devices relied solely on their frictional engagement with the supporting surface and were exclusively used out of doors. The present invention provides a wheeled cart incorporating hydraulic means for controlling the rotation of the wheels and pneumatic means controlling the relative position of padded uprights mounted on the cart so that athletes attempting to push the device by positioning their shoulders against the padded uprights will have their actions controlled in a large degree by the adjustable resistance means of the apparatus.

With the foregoing and other objects in View which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the method hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and modifications of the example of the invention herein chosen for purposes of the disclosure, which do not constitute departures from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the athletes training cart.

FIGURE 2 is a back view of the athletes training cart shown in FIGURE 1 with parts broken away and parts removed.

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the training cart with parts broken away.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom view of the training cart with parts broken away.

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of FIGURE 4.

By referring to the drawings and FIGURE 1 in particular, it will be seen that a training cart for athletes has been disclosed which comprises a body having a down- "ice wardly curved front end 11 and a downwardly curved rear end 12 and depending side sections 13 extending therebetween. A pair of axles are journalled in hearings in the depending side sections 13 and extend transversely thereof as best seen in FIGURE 4 of the drawings wherein the axles are indicated by the numerals 14 and 15, the Wheels 15, 16 being keyed to the axle 14 and the wheels 17, 17 being mounted on the axle 15.

By referring to FIGURE 4 of the drawings, it will be seen that a gear box 18 is mounted on the body 10 in a position so that the axle 14 extends therethrough. Gears in said gear box 18 are engaged with a gear on said axle 14 so as to be revolved thereby and a fluid pump 19 is driven by said gears A fluid reservoir 20 is mounted beneath the body 10 and a fluid line 21 establishes communication between the pump 19 and the reservoir 20. A second fluid line 22 extends from the pump 19 to an adjustable relief valve '23 and then continues to a control valve 24, the handle or controlling member of which is indicated at 25 and is positioned on the upper surface of the body 10 as best seen in FIGURES l, 2 and 3. from the control valve 24 to the reservoir 20 and a third fluid line 26 extends between the relief valve 23 and the reservoir 20. It will thus be seen that rotation of the wheels 16 which occurs when the cart is pushed along the floor, rotates the axle 14, turns the gears in the gear box 18 and energizes the pump 19. Fluid from the reservoir 28 is pumped thereby through the relief valve 23 and the control valve 24 back to the reservoir 20. By varying the position of the control valve 24 the fluid pump 19 is forced to pump against fluid pressure built up in the system and a relatively larger amount of energy is therefore necessary to push the cart and thereby rotate the ground engaging wheels 16, and 17. The relief valve '23 is set so that it will vent fluid pressure back to the reservoir 20 at a pressure less than that which will rupture the fluid lines of hydraulic system, for example, relief may be necessary if the control valve 24 is closed completely.

In order that athletes may push the training cart a pair of L-shaped arms 27 and 28 have horizontal portions mounted for longitudinal movement within the cart body It and portions thereof extend outwardly of the rear end 12 thereof through openings therein with the substantially vertical portions of the L-shaped arms 27 and 28 extending thereabove. These substantially vertical portions of the L-shaped arms 27 and 28 are preferably mounted rectangular hollow members which have circular padded bodies 29 and 30 secured thereabout as best seen in FIG- URE 1 of the drawings.

By referring to FIGURES 4 and 5 of the drawings, it will be seen that the inner ends of the L-shaped arms 27 and 28 are coupled to the piston rods 31 and 32 respectively of pneumatic cylinders 33 and 34 the opposite ends of which are pivotally mounted by pivot structures 35 and 36 respectively to the sides 13 of the cart body 10. The horizontal portions of the L-shaped arms 27 and 28 are movably positioned by spaced pairs of arms 37, 37 which include transversely extending anti-friction bearings 38, 38 to which the L-shaped arms 27 and 28 are secured. Thus longitudinal motion imparted to the L-shaped arms 27 and 28 will cause them to move longitudinally in flat arcs based on the uppermost pairs of pivots 38 which are secured to the body 10 of the cart and the piston rods 31 and 32 will move upwardly of the pistons 33 and 34 and the air compressed thereby will be conveyed by air lines 39 and 40 to gauges 41 and 42 which are of the type arranged to register air pressure in p.s.i. The gauges 41 and 42 each have a pair of hands on a dial, one of which hands is moved by the other and which therefore A fluid line 22 extends remains in the maximum pressure indicating position until reset manually.

It will thus be seen that when a pair of athletes engage the cylindrical padded members 29 and 30 and attempt to push the training cart two actions result: The first is the motion of the L-shaped arms 27 and 28 relative to the cart and the actuation of the pneumatic cylinders 33 and 34 and the resulting indication of the pressure by the gauges 41 and 42 which are mounted within the cart body in registry with openings in the rearward end 12 thereof so that they can be viewed by the athletes. secondarily, the training cart is moved in a degree depending upon the setting of the control valve 24 which through the hydraulic system hereinbefore described controls the speed of rotation of the ground engaging wheels 16 The training cart is formed of steel and the hydraulic system and pneumatic pistons incorporated therein weigh a sufficient amount to establish adequate traction with a gym floor, for example, so that a desired degree of resistance may be offered the athletes.

It will thus be seen that a training cart meeting the several objects of the invention has been disclosed and having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

1. A training cart for athletes comprising a vehicle supported on ground engaging wheels, an axle connecting a pair of said wheels and a hydraulic pump driven by said axle, said pump having inlet and outlet openings a source of hydraulic fluid and a hydraulic system including a first fluid line connecting said source of said hydraulic fluid with said inlet opening of said pump, a second fluid line connecting said outlet opening of said pump with said source of hydraulic fluid, said system including valve means in said second fluid line whereby the flow of hydraulic fluid in said system may be regulated, padded upright members on one end of said vehicle against which said athletes may push.

2. The training cart set forth in claim 1 and wherein the padded upright members comprise L-shaped arms movably mounted on said vehicle, pneumatic cylinders in said vehicle actuated by said arms and gauges connected to said pneumatic cylinders for indicating the relative movement of said arms.

3. The training cart for athletes set forth in claim 1 and wherein the vehicle comprises a relatively flat low rectangular body with said hydraulic system and said source of hydraulic fluid and said hydraulic pump positioned within said body, and said valve means positioned for operation on the exterior of said body.

4. A training cart for athletes comprising a vehicle having a fiat low substantially rectangular body the forward and rearward ends of which are curved downwardly, a pair of spaced axles extending through said body and a pair of ground engaging wheels on each of said axles, a fluid pump connected to one of said axles and arranged to be operated when said vehicle is moved and the ground engaging wheels rotated, a hydraulic system including a reservoir, a fluid line running from said reservoir to said pump and a secondary fluid line running from said pump to said reservoir, and a control valve in said secondary fluid line, the handle of said control valve located exteriorly of said body of said vehicle, a bypass line between said secondary fluid line and said reservoir, a relief valve on said bypass line, a pair of L-shaped arms positioned in said vehicle in. spaced relation to one another and arranged for longtudinal movement relative thereto, resilient means interconnecting said arms and said vehicle and padded members on the vertical portions of said arms exteriorly of said vehicle against which the athletes may push.

5. The training cart for athletes set forth in claim 4 and wherein the resilient means comprise pneumatic piston and cylinder assemblies and wherein said arms are connected to said pistons and wherein gauges viewable exteriorly of said vehicle communicate with said pneumatic cylinders.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Byers Jan. 25, 1938 Noor Sept. 9, 1941 Gilman Gear Catalog, Jan. 7, 1960, pg. 21 of 32 pgs. (copy in Division 62). 

